Though he’s only been recording music since April 2020, Rob49 is already on a career run that the city hasn’t seen in years. Affiliation with the New Orleans collective Freewater Studios afforded Rob some early hometown promotion, as well as recording & performance opportunities. But after inking a deal with Interscope Records and dropping the video for his hit single “Vulture Island” earlier this year, Rob’s career has undeniably shifted gears.

Just a few weeks ago, footage began to emerge of Rob49 filming a music video within New Orleans’ Iberville Projects, a defunct housing development that was closed following Hurricane Katrina. These videos showcased Rob alongside hit rapper Lil Baby, as well as cameo appearances from fellow Louisiana artist Kevin Gates, Florida rapper Hotboii, & Quality Control Music CEO Pierre “P” Thomas. Before the end of the day, these videos went viral with fans anticipating that a remix to “Vulture Island” would arrive soon.

Then on Friday, March 25th, just hours before Rob would take the stage at at the BUKU Music + Art Project, the video for “Vulture Island Remix feat. Lil Baby” would premiere to massive success, peaking at #6 on the Youtube Trending page for music – since then, the video has amassed over 3.2 million views on Youtube alone. By the time Rob49 appeared on-stage at the New Orleans-based music festival, crowds had flocked.

The rap scene in Louisiana has been starving for an artist like Rob49 to get the spotlight. His musical style is so distinctly “Louisiana”, from his particular off-kilter cadence & delivery, to his lingo, performance ability, and even his instrumentals. Rob has only just started his career, but he has quickly advanced passed many independent Louisiana artists. Through persistence and dedication, Rob has built for himself the foundation for a solid beginning in his career as a recording artist. He’s also got seemingly-unanimous support from New Orleans, becoming somewhat of a torch-bearer for the city’s musical position on the national stage.

As part of our media coverage for #BUKU2022, Ends Meet was invited to interview several local artists on behalf of those that aspire to pursue their own musical journey. We were given the opportunity to speak with Rob, and upon meeting him it’s clear that he has an overwhelmingly-positive approach to the opportunities surrounding him. He has already gone on numerous full-length interviews discussing, quite candidly, how he quit his job from Subway, slept on couches, and remained focused on his own personal success. Rob mentions at one point that, prior to recording his first songs in 2020, he hadn’t even considered pursuing a career in music.

On behalf of those that want to build their own futures in the music industry, Ends Meet had the opportunity to sit down with Rob49 immediately after his performance at BUKU Fest 2022 to ask him some questions about his own journey & to offer some advice for aspiring artists. Here’s what he had to say: